


The Cuckoo's Song

by saisei



Series: My Halloween Fic [1]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Camping, Confusion, Fog, M/M, Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-02
Updated: 2020-11-02
Packaged: 2021-03-09 09:35:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27349003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saisei/pseuds/saisei
Summary: When forced to camp outside a haven, Noct disappears that night while sleeping...
Relationships: Gladiolus Amicitia/Ignis Scientia
Series: My Halloween Fic [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1997275
Comments: 2
Kudos: 20
Collections: FFXV Halloween Week 2020





	The Cuckoo's Song

**Author's Note:**

> For Days 5 & 6: Day 5 (10/29): "Theme: Worst Fears & Nightmares", Monster of the day: Demons & Daemons

The Regalia ran out of gas in the worst place – too far to run on foot to the nearest haven before dark, too isolated to hope some kindly passerby could spare a couple of liters.

"There's a cave in the cliff over there," Gladio said, after consulting his notes on the area while Ignis let Noct vent his frustration. Ignis refrained from pointing out how much gas and time they'd wasted haring off to find the fishing hole a tipster had recommended. "Should be big enough for the tent."

"Or we could stay in the car," Noct said.

Gladio snorted. He'd figured His Bug-Hating Majesty would object. "Remember what Cindy threatened the last time an Iron Giant bashed the car in?"

Prompto shuddered theatrically.

"Cave camping it is, then," Ignis said briskly, and steered as they pushed the Regalia onto the shoulder.

Gladio'd marked the cave on his map as _probably safe_. The interior was about half the size of a caravan, but the roof sloped down to the floor, meaning he and Iggy had to duck. Not comfortable, but safe. Safe-ish.

Ignis cooked the day's catch for dinner before it got completely dark, so the light from the fire didn't attract anything, while Gladio prodded Noct and Prompto into making camp. Once it was fully dark they checked around to make sure no hidden tunnels or doors opened up, which would have at least been an interesting end to an otherwise crappy day. But no such luck.

When sleeping rough, Gladio insisted that they keep watch: Prompto first, then Gladio, then Ignis, who said he'd need to be up early anyway. Noct as usual complained that _he_ never got a shift, as if he'd somehow missed that they were protecting _him_. He said he'd stay up and play games with Prompto, who gave him a thumbs-up and a staunch, "Right on, dude."

No one was surprised when Noct conked out first. Prompto tossed a blanket over him, and told Ignis he might as well lie down, too, since he'd been nodding off for a while but refused to go to bed before Noct. Gladio read for a half-hour more before joining them. He and Ignis had agreed to put their relationship on hold until they got back home from Altissia, and with Insomnia fallen and Noct now King, he had no idea if they'd ever have a chance to be together again. But Ignis still let him sleep at his side, sharing his warmth and presence even if they couldn't touch.

Gladio snapped awake when Prompto kicked him hard in the side, though it took him a moment to figure out that was what had happened. The tent was lit by someone's phone, fallen or tossed into the far corner, and the air was thick with heavy fog. The door flaps were unzipped, flapping as Prompto scuffled with someone in the fog. Gladio threw himself outside, shaking off disorientation and ready for a fight, slapping on his flashlight. The first thing he saw was Prompto, who'd thrown himself over Ignis, pinning him to the ground. Ignis was trying to shove Prompto off, calling for Noct when he managed to pry Prompto's hand off his mouth, shouting that he'd be there soon, hang on, help was coming.

Gladio couldn't hear anything aside from normal woods-at-night noises; Prompto made a face like he was listening hard, but then shook his head. Gladio checked the tent, making sure Noct really was gone, his heart beating like a war drum when he saw the abandoned pillow and empty blanket. His head was in a fog, too, and he felt disoriented, yanked up out of dreams and into nightmare.

If he didn't get Noct back here, he'd have betrayed everything he was, disappointing his ancestors, letting his country and king down. He'd be a failure. But he could salvage the situation. Be Noct's savior.

He grabbed a handful of the back of Ignis' shirt and hauled him up and back, away from the cave entrance he'd been struggling for. Trying to get away, huh.

"The fuck," Gladio said, as Ignis fought against his grip, digging his fingernails into his wrists hard enough to draw blood.

"I caught him trying to run away," Prompto panted, pulling upright but leaning his weight against the wall, chest heaving. He had blood smeared on his face from a bloody nose. Ignis' handiwork, obviously. "He won't tell me what he did with Noct."

"He's out there," Ignis hissed, throwing himself forward, and then back lightning quick, trying to smash his head into Gladio's face. A predictable, desperate move. "Screaming for assistance you refuse to let me give. If he dies it's all your – "

Prompto shoved off the wall and punched Ignis hard in the stomach to shut him up, and Gladio felt a ferocious clarity cut through him, despite the dizzying confusion. "He'd never go off on his own and leave us behind. So just – " he hit Ignis again, but Gladio could tell he didn't know how to do it right, how to inflict useful harm – "bring Noct back."

"I am _trying_ ," Ignis said, and kicked his foot up hard between Prompto's legs.

He seized the moment when Prompto doubled over to twist in Gladio's grasp, slipping down and trying to twist free of his grip. But where did he think he was going? Was there someone out there – had Ignis betrayed them all, given his loyalty to the enemy? Gladio didn't know, and that pissed him off, his head buzzing. Ignis remained defiant even as Gladio dragged him down and pinned to the stony ground, refusing demands to explain himself even as his elbow was yanked out of the socket and his hands crushed together until his fingers snapped, one after the other. Even then his iron stubbornness was a wall Gladio needed to break apart, smash down and grind to dust to find the truth Ignis was hiding from him.

Prompto, doubled over and eyes watering, pleaded with Ignis to just tell them what they needed to know, before anyone got hurt – more hurt – just admit that he'd done something to Noct. Secreted him away. All he had to do was be honest.

"I thought we were... friends," he said, plaintive. His hands gripped his temples, like he was trying to keep a headache from literally splitting his head in half. "How could you do this? I mean. Noct _trusted_ you."

Gladio couldn't wrap his head around the stomach-dropping fear he had that Ignis had turned not just on Noct and Prompto, but on him, specifically. Used him. Taken advantage of their relationship – hell, maybe nothing had been between them at all from the start. Could just have been a scheme to get Gladio to let his guard down, like a fool, so Ignis could exploit his weakness and ruin him.

Gladio'd shoved all the stones and sticks into a pile on the side when he'd been clearing the ground for the tent, conveniently close by; easy to find a rock that filled his fist with a satisfying weight.

He'd _make_ Ignis talk – he _would_ – and then everything would be fine, he'd save the King the way a Shield was supposed to. He'd die for the King, he'd do anything, just as soon as he got Ignis to open his fucking mouth and tell him where the fuck Noct was.

"I'm here," Noct said, and Gladio just about jumped out of his skin. Yeah, there the kid was, standing just outside the cave, his face floating as pale as a ghost in the fog that billowed around him.

"What the fuck," Gladio snapped. All his anger shifted focus to Noct, who should know better than to wander off in strange woods in the middle of the night.

Noct shrugged like it was no big deal. "I had a nightmare that you were leaving without me and I panicked, but my head cleared when I got to the car. So I came back."

"Take your phone the next time you freak out," Prompto said. His voice was high, like he was the one panicking. His knees were jittering with nerves, his hands drumming against them, and his eyes flitted between Noct and Gladio, the tent and the cave walls, like he was terrified there was a jump-scare coming, something malevolent appearing to grab him and drag him off next.

Noct didn't seem to notice any of this, just nodded like it was a regular conversation. "I won't forget." He stepped into the mouth of the cave, pulling in more fog, its tendrils wrapped around him like a billowing cape. "Let's just go back to sleep. I'm tired."

Now that the excitement was over, Gladio could feel the adrenaline rush drain away, making him heavy and clumsily slow.

"Ignis is already asleep," Noct added. "He can't be comfortable on the ground like that. Let's go in," and he held the tent flaps open. Prompto dove in, faceplanting into his pillow and then hugging it to his chest. Gladio dragged Ignis inside next, pulling a blanket over him.

Noct lay down between Prompto and Ignis, closing his eyes and appearing to drift right off. Gladio was going to yell at him tomorrow – a lot – but right now his pillow had an irresistible magnetic pull. He could barely stay awake long enough to lie down, lethargy sapping him of all energy.

The last thing he did before dropping off was wrap his arm around Ignis' waist. He'd said something bad, he vaguely recalled. Yelled, maybe. He'd apologize tomorrow. But at least Ignis didn't shrug his arm off.

"Love you," Gladio murmured against the still, damp side of Ignis' neck, and slid down, down, down into untroubled sleep.


End file.
